Bradford Bulls look increasingly likely to enter a dual-registration partnership with Super League outfit Hull FC in 2020.
The Black and Whites’ long-standing relationship with League 1 side Doncaster ended at the conclusion of last season, with the Dons stating at the time they wanted to create a larger squad of their own to rely on due to the permanent return of reserves competition.
At the time, Doncaster chief executive Carl Hall said: “We will not be renewing the dual-reg partnership going forward, and with Super League’s decision to run a reserve competition next season, myself and head coach Richard Horne felt it was time for us to stand alone and have a bigger squad of our own to call on.”
But the Black and Whites are still keen to retain a dual-registration partner in 2020. League Express revealed earlier this month that a number of sides outside of Super League had expressed an interest in linking up with Hull.
The Bulls, who are rebuilding their own squad after an ownership change in the off-season, are one of those clubs, and League Express now understands that they are the frontrunners to secure the partnership moving forward.
The deal would be a big boost for the Championship side, who are light on numbers following a number of key departures since the end of last season: including a quintet of first-team players to Hull’s cross-city rivals, Hull KR.
